Dark Heart
by Ejes
Summary: Two weeks. For two weeks, Sora had been missing. For two weeks, Xehanort had the boy captive. Much to Kairi's relief, he somehow managed to escape, finding his way back to her. But these two weeks changed him a lot... What had Xehanort done, for the boy to now have golden eyes, and... dark hair?
1. The boy in black

**_Welcome to a very frustrating story! I think you will get what I mean by frustrating as you read the chapters. Let's just say that the regular reader (you) has more information than the characters, meaning you will probably see things differently than the protagonists. I won't say any more, but you should get it, if not here, in the next chapter at least. 'Cuz yeah, it's another multichap! It was meant to be a one shot, but I guess it's far from being one *sighs* Anyway, enjoy chapter 1!_**

 ** _Disclaimer : I do not own Kingdom Hearts nor its characters. It is also worth noting that this fic was started before the E3 trailers and therefore will not follow some plot twists discovered in the trailers. This is set in a KH3 like setup._**

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Two weeks. It had been two weeks now, and Kairi felt like she was slowly getting crazy. And so lonely. Lea was doing his best to cheer her up, but that wasn't helping much. Any hour she wasn't spending searching was spent training, but her heart wasn't into it.

"If Riku were here, he'd know what to do…" She sighed, tying her hair up.

"Oh? What happened to that strong, independent woman I used to train with? She kept on telling me how she would be doing great on her own." Lea teased her, but his words sounded as hollow as her heart.

Two weeks.

"Yeah, tell me about it…" She gasped. Had she spoke out loud, for Lea to answer? She felt bad. They both were doing their best to pretend they were okay for each other's sake. She couldn't let that game of pretend end now.

"But we'll find him, okay? We will. No matter how long it takes, we will bring your boy back." He looked at the sky through the window, and for a few seconds, his eyes were clouded with sadness. "And mine too." He softly added, his voice just a whisper.

Kairi stared at him in silence for a moment. He had changed a lot. She remembered the first time she had met him, and it wasn't really a happy memory. He had kidnapped her. Taken her to the worst place ever, a place she'd still get nightmares of and wake up in tears in the middle of the night. All he had seen in her was a good to trade against his best friend. In a way, she could now admire and even respect a bit how far he had been ready to go just to save Roxas. But back then, of course, she only feared him. Hated him. Despised him.

The first weeks of training with him had been chaotic. She wouldn't trust him, and he would avoid her, feeling like she had every right to stay away from him. It was only when Master Yen Sid told them it was important that they should get along, and Lea fell to his knees, throwing his Keyblade away and asking Kairi to hit him until she felt better, that she decided to trust him. After smacking him a couple of times, of course.

And now, now that she would put her life in his hands with no second thought, it appeared he was all she had left. She was glad they were now friends, because it would have otherwise been insufferable for both of them. Riku and Mickey weren't back from the Realm of Darkness yet, on their quest to save Master Aqua. Kairi missed Riku. He was the stable, reliable one of them three. She always could count on him, and he was an awesome listener. Right now, she needed his advice, she needed his calm. She needed someone to tell her that all would be alright, someone who would believe it. Lea said it a lot, but he lacked conviction.

The redhead young man turned his face to the redhead young woman and smiled. She gave his smile back. It was unfair of her to miss Riku, when Lea was missing more than anyone his own best friends. He talked a bit about Roxas, sometimes. About how they spent their time eating ice-cream at the clock tower, about how he was the only one who made him feel like he had a heart, back when he was a Nobody. Lea and Kairi would sometimes share an ice-cream by the clock tower, too. Lea said he didn't want to lose this habit, for when Roxas would be back. He never spoke about his other friend, but Kairi remembered him. She was just a little girl, back then, and had close to no memory of these times before she'd go to Destiny Island, but somehow, this picture got stuck in her mind: a boy with bright red hair, always seen with his blue-haired friend. Kairi couldn't explain why she remembered them. Maybe her 5 year old self admired them, the big boys who never feared anything. It wasn't until really soon that she realised it had been Lea, and… She heard the other one's name by accident, once, a bit after Lea saved Sora. The redhead was yelling at Master Yen Sid about someone else controlled by Xehanort, someone they could maybe save. Isa. But he never talked about him in front of her, and she never brought it either. Lea had lost all of his friends, and Kairi wished she could soothe his pain away.

But it was a difficult task when she was in so much pain herself.

"I think we both could use an ice cream right now, what do you say, Lea?"

"Always in for some sugar!"

They took the train from the Mysterious Tower to Twilight Town. Kairi could never get tired of the view from the train. Lea stared at the clocktower the minute it appeared on the window. He always did.

"Hey, Kairi. We're here. Kairi?"

She snapped out of her thoughts when Lea gently nudged her. She had not noticed the train had come to a stop. Concern was painted all over Lea's face, but he simply offered his hand to help her get up, and chuckled when she refused his help and jumped on her feet.

"Okay, you go first!"

She frowned for a second, focused. "I'll go with seven."

"Well, I say eight isn't a bad number either!"

They had been playing this game for a while now : they would bet on how many people they would see on the streets before reaching the ice cream shop, and the one that gave the closest number was being treated to by the loser. Twilight Town was always really quiet at this hour of the day, so they never met that many people.

"The old lady over there - one."

"These two boys skating - three."

"That woman and her dog - five."

"Lea…"

"Just kidding. Four."

"Lea."

"Kairi, we cannot count ourselves, that's cheating."

"Lea!"

Only then did he really pay attention to her. She was livid, out of breathe, staring at a dark shape in a dead-end. Her hands were shaking, but her body was very still. She couldn't move. She couldn't move at all.

"Let's have a look." Lea had lost all of his jovial tone, switching for a much more serious voice. Kairi's legs still wouldn't take a step forward, until Lea gently took her by the wrist, pulling her softly behind him. Her mind went totally blank, as she stared at the black shape. The black silhouette. The black hair.

Two weeks. It had been two weeks now. Two weeks, since Sora went for a trip in Twilight Town and never came back. Two weeks since Donald and Goofy came back with the sinister news that the boy had been captured by Xehanort. Two weeks since Kairi had been scouring every world she could to find a trace of him, a hint, anything, in vain. Two weeks she spent remembering what she'd been through when she was Xehanort's captive, two weeks wondering what Sora was going through, two weeks fearing they would make him their vessel, two weeks fearing they would kill him.

And suddenly, on the day when Lea and her had decided to have an ice cream to forget for a few minutes how helpless they were and how little they knew about where Sora was, an unconscious boy in a black coat, with black hair, but more importantly with Sora's face appeared right in front of them.

Being close enough to see his face didn't help Kairi. It was a beautiful, sunny day, and yet her limbs were frozen. Time itself was frozen. She wanted to believe, and she wanted not to. Maybe they were mistaken. Maybe it was just a coincidence. Maybe it was just a boy looking just like him.

"Hey, buddy, can you hear me?"

Lea was crouched next to the boy, gently tapping his cheeks. The boy was very pale, and Kairi feared for the worst. But just when she was about to finally get her eyes off him, he took a deep breathe in, gasping for air as if he wasn't breathing before. He opened his eyes, staring right at her.

"Kai...ri?"

He then passed out again, as Lea caught Kairi whose legs gave out.

Sora. Sora called her name. But, more importantly…

Sora's eyes were now golden.

* * *

 _ **Writing a fic with Kairi as the protagonist is pretty interesting, and very different from writing with Aqua. Actually, Kairi is the reason some chapters were so frustrating, because she tends to think a lot (no offense to Aqua, love you Mama). I hope you liked this one and you are curious about what's going to happen next! Leave a review to let me know ;)  
**_


	2. Sora?

**_If my computer battery doesn't die on me, here comes chapter 2! This is where things started to get frustrating for me - and maybe for you as well. Enjoy!_**

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Kairi was pacing in her own room after Master Yen Sid had kicked her out from Sora's room. Apparently, her nervosity wasn't going to help him wake up any sooner. Lea had carried the boy all the way to the Tower and was now practising some more magic. He probably was as worried as Kairi was.

She couldn't forget his eyes. Where were Sora's beautiful blue eyes? Anytime she'd look at them, she would see confidence, happiness, love. These eyes gave her goosebumps. And this hair… What had Xehanort done with him? She couldn't ignore that feeling of Darkness that came from him. Had he been so tainted with Darkness that his appearance had changed that much? That his heart had changed? And she couldn't just simply ignore that voice in her head, whispering that this might just not be Sora. That her friend was still somewhere out there, needing her help, while she'd stop looking for him.

She heard someone softly knocking on her door. When she opened, she wasn't surprised to see Lea - this Tower was pretty empty, and Master Yen Sid almost never came to her room, waiting for their training sessions to give any important information.

"The old man asked me to tell you he woke up." Her heart missed a bit. "However… This might be a little bit more complicated than we thought. Don't… Just don't hope for too much, okay?"

She had no idea what this meant, and feared for the worst. She followed Lea throughout the endless sets of stairs until they magically ended up in the aisle where the boy had been sleeping for the last three hours. Yen Sid was waiting by the door, his arms crossed, his expression unreadable.

"Master, is he… Can I come in?"

"You may, Kairi. But be wary, as he is not exactly the boy you knew."

Kairi carefully stepped in. Sora was sitting on the bed, his eyes empty. She recoiled a bit when she saw the gold in them, but forced herself to move forward. No matter the colour of his hair, no matter the colour of his eyes, if he was Sora, she would still love him.

"You done slacking off?" She teased, attempting a smile. He turned his face to her, his eyes meeting hers. She chuckled, a sound that was not completely natural here. "You've always been the lazy one, after all. What would Riku say?"

"Kai...ri." It was Sora's voice alright. He sounded off, but she couldn't blame him. What kind of fate had he met within these two weeks? She didn't want to think about it. All she wanted to focus on was the boy sitting right there, staring at her.

"Yes, it's me. Are you okay? I was really worried, you know. How did you escape?"

"Escape?" He repeated, frowning. Kairi smiled at him, but her heart started racing.

"What do you remember?"

He closed his eyes for a moment. She felt incredibly guilty when she realised she was relieved not to see them. It put her uneasy. Reminded her too much of Xehanort. She never wanted to see golden eyes again, and especially not on Sora.

"I'm Sora. And you're Kairi." She nodded, waiting for him to develop. He did not. She waited a bit longer, but when only silence followed, she gulped down her saliva.

"Don't you remember anything else? At all?"

"We are… friends?"

"Yes, we are. Do you know where you are, Sora?"

He scanned the room. "The old man said this was his tower. A magical tower."

"That's right. This is Master Yen Sid's Tower. And him? Do you remember him?" Lea quietly walked in. Sora stared at him, then shook his head.

"We found you in Twilight Town, wearing a black coat. The Organization coat. Do you know how you ended up here?" He flinched, and she held her breath.

"The Organization… They are… bad guys, aren't they?"

"You… You remember them?"

"The old man mentioned them. And when I hear their name… I feel… Cold? I don't like this feeling. I don't like them."

"It's okay." Kairi chuckled, and this time, it felt much more natural. "Don't worry about that. You remember the principal about them: it's best to stay away from them, especially now. I wished Riku could come back soon…"

"Riku?"

She shivered. Could it be that he had forgotten Riku, too? This wouldn't feel right. This would actually be terrifying. She would suffer just as much knowing he had forgotten Riku than she would have if he had forgotten her.

"Where is he? Where is my… friend?"

She relaxed a little. He remembered. It was only natural that he was spacing out, but she was relieved he remembered both of them.

"He's gone for a little while. With the King. They left to find and save Master Aqua from the Realm of Darkness." Was it her imagination, or did he tense a bit? She would have loved to know what was going through his head right now.

"You might need to rest a bit more. I'll come and get you for dinner, what do you say?"

He didn't say anything. Kairi smiled and left the room, followed by Lea. Yen Sid closed the door behind them.

"Master, do you think he is Sora?" She bluntly asked as they walked away. The old Master frowned.

"What makes you think he is not?"

"I… I don't know. I want him to be Sora, but I'm just…"

"She's right." Lea nodded sternly. "It almost felt too easy. Kairi and I both know how difficult it is to run away from Xehanort. Finding him right there was a bit unexpected."

"It's Sora we are talking about. We know how strong he is. If anyone could escape, don't you think that could be him?"

"We know it, but so does Xehanort. Listen, Master, it's not that we don't want him to be the one we're looking for. We just don't want to rule out any possibility."

"So you think… I'm a fake?"

They stopped in their tracks, looking behind them. The boy was there, staring at them with big, sad golden eyes. His lower lip was quivering, and it felt like a stab in Kairi's heart. She ran to him and took his hand.

"We didn't say that. Trust me, I want you to be Sora. To be _my_ Sora. And I promise I will treat you as such. But you have to understand that Xehanort is an expert in fooling people, and I don't want anyone to get hurt. I'm sorry."

He looked right at her, and his eyes were so sad, so resigned.

"Of course. I understand. You want to protect your friends. But what does your heart tell you?"

She closed her eyes, taking his hand in both of hers. What did her heart say? Being a Princess of Heart came with a few perks. A long time ago, she had been able to sense Riku through his Darkness. Could she do the same here?

She felt a heart. A broken, shattered heart. She could feel a hint of Sora's light, deep inside, although Darkness was woven around it. This heart was so messed up… It had to be Sora. She could feel his Light. She could feel the pain he'd been through. A tear rolled down her cheek as she let go of his hand, slowly wrapping her arms around him.

"It's you… It's you, isn't it? Just what did they do to you to break you so hard?"

His shoulders slowly relaxed as he hugged her back. He was squeezing her tight, a bit too tight perhaps, but she could hardly blame him for that. She knew that what she had felt was only the beginning of his pain. His heart was like a stain glass that someone would have smashed on purpose, with shards of glass everywhere. Only Sora could be strong enough to still be able to stand with a heart in such a state.

"I wished Riku was there." Kairi softly whispered for the nth time today. Maybe he could help dealing with Sora's Darkness. Maybe he would know how to save their friend.

"Yes, I hope he will be back soon." Sora answered back, and something in his voice made Kairi shiver. There was something wrong. Of course there was. You couldn't expect anyone to escape from Xehanort and to be completely alright. She brushed away these thoughts.

"After dinner, I will show you how much I've improved in fighting! You know, my strength almost matches Lea's now!"

"You are strong, but your attacks lack of _finesse_." Groaned Lea. "And you still have too much openings. Don't get too cocky, Kairi, I am still at least fifteen years above you when it comes to fighting."

Kairi punched his shoulder and they both laughed, under Sora's clouded gaze. He made a tiny smile.

"I can't wait to see how strong you both are."

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 _ **I will be gone till Sunday, but I still read all of your reviews on every fic, so thanks a lot for them!**_


	3. No Blade

_**And here comes chapter 3! I'm really happy to see that you guys seem to like it, so thank you to all following my work! Here comes more Lea & Kairi Bromance because I want them to be BFFs!**_

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"Fine, fine, I give up! Now let me go!"

"Oh? And here I thought I was fifteen years behind?"

Kairi had one foot on Lea's wrist (although she was putting most of her weight on her other foot), and her keyblade pointed at Lea's throat. Both of them were panting, their cheeks red and their eyes sparkling. Kairi had been close to losing, but the thought of Sora staring at them, the cold feeling of his yellow eyes on her, and the determination to save him gave her the necessary strength to push back her fellow apprentice and to disarm him.

She dropped the Blade, and offered her hand to Lea with a smug smile. He took it, faking a frown, but couldn't hide the amusement in his eyes.

"My apologies, _Princess_ , I will not make fun of you again. For today."

"This is too kind of you. Would you like to try, Sora?"

Upon the lack of answer, they both turned their head to the boy. He was spacing out, staring at the sky. He finally snapped out of it, turning his eyes back at them, and Kairi had to ignore that twist in her stomach. _Just you wait, Sora. We will fix you._

"Sorry, what was it?"

"Would you like to try? A match. Against one of us." Kairi added when he frowned. "Of course, if you still feel tired, that's totally fine. I just thought that you might enjoy some exercise."

"I'd like to. But aren't you tired?"

Kairi snorted. "Are you telling you will have to go easy on me? Don't, or I'll crush you!"

"Kai, that's no way of treating a recovering person…" But she simply ignored Lea, challenging Sora with her keyblade. "Get ready, Sora! I'm tired and you're recovering, so we both have a handicap here!"

Sora stared at her with a blank expression, then looked at his empty hands. "What should I use to fight?"

The question surprised her. "Can't you summon your keyblade?" He furrowed his brows, then shook his head. "No. It won't come even if I call it."

"Must be the Darkness…" whispered Lea. Kairi frowned. How did he escape from Xehanort, without his weapon? She herself couldn't escape when she had Naminé with her, who could open Corridors of Darkness. But if he had not escaped… She couldn't imagine what trick that could have been. And she felt guilty for not trusting him after all he'd been through.

"I know! Here, take my Keyblade. Lea, let me borrow yours! It wouldn't be fair if I used my own while you used an unfamiliar one, but that way, none of us is on familiar grounds!"

Lea groaned something about not wanting a brute like her to use his delicate weapon, but still gave it to her anyway. She handed her floral keyblade for Sora to take.

For the first couple of seconds, nothing happened. And then, he threw it away, falling to his knees, screaming. Kairi dropped her own blade (well, Lea's) and ran to his side.

"Sora, what's wrong? Sora!"

"Kairi, look at his hand…" Lea's voice was trembling as he pointed Sora's hand. It was red, blistered. Burnt. Kairi quickly cast a Cure to ease the pain, but she could see in his eyes how much he was suffering. She cast a second Cure as soon as her MP restored.

"What happened? Why did it…"

"I don't know. I don't know, but it hurt. Just as much as when he…" Sora stopped, biting his lip. "I don't want to be hurt."

Kairi gently took his hand in hers, carefully caressing his palm with her fingertips in a relaxing motion. The Cures worked well, and the blisters were gone, only leaving a skin still a bit red.

"No one here will hurt you, Sora. You are safe. I don't know what could have happened here."

"I fear I do." Master Yen Sid appeared, his solemn facial expression darker than usual. "This Keyblade of yours, Kairi… It is special."

"Special?"

"Yes. Keyblades are the manifestation of a Heart's true strength. But your heart isn't any kind of heart."

"A heart made of pure Light." Lea said, slowly understanding. "And with that much Darkness within him…"

"This is only a theory." Yen Sid slowly nodded. "There has been no precedent of a Princess of Heart having a keyblade. I don't think it would hurt people with a somewhat balanced amount of Light and Darkness within their heart. But Sora, right here…"

Sora looked at the three of them, sad. "Does that mean that I will never be able to summon my Keyblade again? That I'm… That I'm not really me anymore? If there is so much Darkness in me, it might be best if you just got rid of me. Without a weapon, I'm useless anyway."

Kairi squeezed his hand, maybe a bit too violently given he'd just been burnt, but she didn't care. His words had hurt her just as much.

"Never say that again. The Sora I knew would never give up so easily. Maybe you're right, and maybe you changed. But that doesn't mean we can't help you. What if you've got Darkness in your heart? Riku did, too, and we saved him, didn't we? We will save you, Sora. I promise."

He lowered his head. "Thanks." And Kairi felt the tinge of guilt coming back. Just minutes ago, she had been doubting him again. But when she looked at him now, so fragile, so vulnerable, she wanted to help him, and she felt so angry to be so clueless about how to do so. With a smile, she put her hand on his cheek.

"We will find a way. For now, what about going to sleep? I think we all had our share of emotions for the night. If you still want to challenge me to a fight tomorrow, we will use wooden swords, just like when we were should be safe."

"Riku used to beat us every time, though, didn't he?" Sora replied with a chuckle. Kairi flinched a bit, but laughed it off. "Yes, he did. I'd like to challenge him, too, once he gets back."

"Do you think you have a chance of winning?"

She laughed. "Not at all. But I have a chance of learning, and that is very important too. I'm a quick learner. Come on, let's go to sleep. You're coming, Lea?"

The young man looked at them both with a sad smile. He was an open book, and that made Kairi sad too. She could easily guess what he was thinking : with Sora being overwhelmed by Darkness, and unable to summon a Keyblade, the chances of saving Roxas anytime soon were wearing thin.

"Not now. It's a clear night, I'll get some fresh air. You go to bed, Princess. I'll see ya tomorrow."

She smiled at him, a perfect reflection of his own sad smile. She turned to Sora. "Would you mind going before me? I'd like to have a quick word with Lea."

Sora shrugged, leaving them, followed by Yen Sid. Lea looked at her, surprised. "A word with me?" he finally asked once everyone was gone.

"Lea, we will save Sora."

He chuckled. "You stayed to tell me that? I heard it when you told him, you know."

"You don't understand. We will save Sora. And then, we will save Roxas too. I'm sorry this is taking longer than expected, but we won't give up. I'll go get him myself if I have to."

Embarrassed, Lea looked away, ruffling his hair. After a minute of silence, he clicked his tongue.

"You really are too kind with me, Kai. We both know I don't deserve it. What good have I ever done to you?"

She laughed and pinched his cheeks. "You can call it Stockholm Syndrome if you'd like. I'm calling this friendship. Had you not been there, the days in this Tower would be pure boredom, but thanks to you, it is fun. That's the good you've done to me. Good night. Don't stay up too late, and take care."

He flicked her on the forehead with a smirk. "Take care too. I wasn't having a good day, but be sure that I'll win tomorrow's match, so you'd better get some rest, don't come up with a lame excuse tomorrow."

He offered his fist, that she bumped with her own before leaving him at his stars contemplation. Tomorrow, she would talk with Master Yen Sid about the solutions to help Sora. But for now, she needed some sleep.

* * *

 ** _Lea and Kairi have such a good dynamic in this fic (at least in my opinion) that I sometimes just wanted to shoo Sora away so that they can have some time together x'D Buuut, weeeell, Sora is kind of one of the protagonists, sooo... But the poor boy went through a lot when with Xehanort so maybe I should be kinder XD  
_**

 ** _See ya' next week! I wonder if we'll get anything from Square at SDCC... *coughs*likeaPS4prosomethinglikethis*coughs*_**


	4. The return of the Masters

_**Chapter 4, coming right up! Enjoy :D**_

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When she woke up, she could feel that something had changed. She was still in her bed, warm under her blanket, her eyes closed, and yet she felt it. Something happened. She quickly dressed up, washed her face and ran to Master Yen Sid's office. She felt that no matter what was going on, _that_ was the place.

She slammed the door open without even knocking. Her heart was racing in her chest, and it wasn't only due to the endless stairs. Even before opening the door, she knew. That was a Light her heart was responding to.

"Riku, you're back!" She practically jumped into his arms, relieved he was okay. He froze for a few seconds, not being quite the extrovert type, before closing his arms around her with a chuckle.

"Easy there. I just got here. How are you, Kairi?"

She finally let him go, aware that hugging wasn't really in his comfort zone, and crossed her arms.

"I was so worried! You have been gone forever, Riku."

The silver-haired boy shook his head. "How long have I been gone? Time flows differently, back there."

"Three weeks! We were worried sick! I was so scared you'd be trapped there again… But where is the King? Isn't he with you?" Kairi's heart tightened, as she feared for the worst. All she heard about the Realm of Darkness was terrifying, and she had been uneasy at the thought of Riku and Mickey returning there. Even though it was for a good reason.

"He went back to his castle. The Queen must have missed him too. I know he missed her. He'll join us in a few days, maybe a bit later. I think he needs some family time, don't you think?"

"And what about Master Aqua? Did you find her?"

Riku softly smiled, turning back to Yen Sid. "That was where I was when you burst in. We found her. She is safe, now. But being back to the Realm of Light after twelve years was a bit overwhelming, and she needs some serious rest. She will be fine."

Kairi smiled, nodding. "I see. That's good. I'm really glad she is alright. Thank goodness."

"Kairi." She froze. Riku was staring at her, frowning, and his tone, if not glacial, wasn't really warm either. "What is it that you are not telling me? Master Yen Sid told me that some things happened while I was gone, but that he would like my report first. What is it?"

Kairi didn't lose her smile, although all hint of joyce vanished from her eyes. She had tried very hard to focus on Riku being back. Of not letting anything ruin it. But she knew she couldn't keep that forever, especially after she wished so much for his advice and presence.

"I think you might need a seat, Riku. This isn't a long story. But you will not like it."

* * *

"Sora is _what_?!" Riku jumped out of his seat, his eyes going from Kairi to Yen Sid and back to Kairi.

"His heart is surrounded by Darkness. It is safe to assume Xehanort did that to him." Gravely confirmed Master Yen. "We have yet to find a solution to bring his Light back to him."

"I thought that maybe you would have some ideas, since, you know…" Kairi couldn't get herself to phrase it. She didn't want to remember that time when Riku was wearing Xehanort's appearance.

"Back then, it's the destruction of Kingdom Hearts that gave me my real form back. I don't know what we can do for him." Riku shook his head. "But we'll figure this out. Where is he?"

Kairi took his hand. "Follow me. But remember that he looks… Different, okay? He is not acting exactly as the Sora we knew either. He doesn't remember much, but he remembers us. He will be thrilled to see you."

* * *

Thrilled might have been a strong word. When Kairi pushed Sora's door after knocking, the boy had no reaction for at least ten seconds, staring at Riku blankly. Then, finally, after that eternity, he jumped on his feet with a smile.

"Riku! You made it back!"

He did not run for Riku. He simply stayed here, a big grin on his face. Riku did his best not to look to shocked by his best friend's new appearance, but Kairi could see how much it actually hurt him. She couldn't really blame him. Riku chuckled.

"Yes, I'm back. And I am not alone. At least one of the Three Lost Masters is safe, now…"

"You found Aqua?" Kairi noticed he looked suddenly really interested. Did he doubt that Riku would save her? Of course, after twelve years stuck in the Realm of Darkness, it was fair to expect for the worst, Kairi thought.

"She is resting for now. Would you guys like to come see if she's awake? Just remember to be quiet, she does need that rest after all she's been through."

Kairi was genuinely excited. Meeting a fellow female keyblade wielder, and a Master at that, was thrilling. She had so much to ask, so much she wanted to know! Of course, she would respect the Master's need of peace and quiet, but once she'd be ready to talk, Kairi would love to hear her out.

* * *

Riku knocked on the door. When no answer came, he gently pushed it, revealing a room similar to all other ones - generated by magic, Kairi supposed - with a bed and a young woman sleeping under the sheets.

"Come in. Let me introduce you to one of the bravest persons I know, Master Aqua." There was so much respect in Riku's voice, Kairi wondered what exactly happened in the Realm of Darkness. She couldn't imagine how it would feel like to be trapped for over a decade alone in such a terrifying place, and she respected her as well.

"Wow. She really didn't change a bit." whispered Lea, who had joined them. Kairi turned to him, surprised, and answered with the same voice level.

"You knew her?"

"Not quite. We didn't exactly meet, but… I've seen her from afar, when I was a kid. I remembered her, because she had blue hair just like Isa, and I teased him about having found his long lost sister for a while. Anyway, it's not like we've ever talked or anything, but she looks just as I remember."

Kairi had the feeling she knew Aqua too. But she was so young, back then, that she couldn't remember it well.

"Let's leave her alone for now, shall we? Riku, do you mind telling us what happened there?"

"Sure. Let's go somewhere else. Are you coming, Sora? Sora?"

Sora was standing right by Aqua's side, staring at her. He had not moved since he got into the room. There was something in his eyes… Fascination? It was as if he couldn't take his eyes off her. He had the beginning of a smile, that Kairi couldn't decide if that was an actual smile or a smirk. She brushed the idea off. His appearance didn't help him look like the kind boy he was, but she knew that he was probably just relieved that Aqua had been saved.

"Sora? Let's go, okay?" It wasn't until Kairi gently took his wrist that he reacted, following them in silence, and giving one last glance at Aqua before Riku closed the door.

* * *

"...And the second we stepped out in the Realm of Light, and she understood she was finally saved, she passed out." Concluded Riku, ending his narration of how they saved Aqua. Yen Sid wrote down some notes on a paper. Kairi was so impressed by Aqua's willpower. She would never have lasted this long. Sora, for some reasons, looked nervous. Kairi wished she could know what exactly happened to him, in these two weeks he spent with Xehanort. It would help her understand his strange behaviour, and how to help him.

"Now that she is back… We can find Ventus too, right? The second Lost Wielder?"

Riku smiled at Sora. "One of her first questions when we met was to know if we had saved Ventus yet. She told me he was somewhere safe, so, while I believe it is important that we save him, I suggest we give her some proper time to rest. I don't want to rush her into any kind of battle. We'll go once she's ready."

"Also," Kairi started, almost shyly, as this was a delicate matter, "I don't think we can go while you are still… Like this, Sora."

"Why's that?" He almost snapped at her, and she slightly recoiled. That was what she was talking about.

"You might not remember, but we talked with Master Yen Sid about this. When you were in the Realm of Dreams, Riku fought Ventus's armour, and we have every reason to believe that at least a fragment of Ventus is in your heart. Your presence is going to be necessary for him to wake up. But with Darkness still surrounding your heart… We might be going for nothing. You must be our priority, for your sake, and for everyone's." She quickly glanced at Lea, who was staring at his feet. "Many lives depend on you, and we can't treat them lightly."

Sora nodded, but what was that in his eyes? Annoyance? Anger? He didn't look very happy about it. She could understand, though.

"So you brought Aqua back, and you can't even save her friends. She won't be pleased."

"It's not that we can't save them. It's that we can't _for now_. If Ventus is safe as she said, it's okay. She'll understand." Riku put a comforting hand on Sora's shoulder. "For now, how about you show me how much you improved, Kairi?"

"Sure! Sora, you're up for that match we postponed yesterday?"

The boy slowly nodded, but he was clearly spacing out again. After the fight, Kairi promised herself she would talk to Riku and to Master Yen Sid about finding a solution to save him.

* * *

 _ **Riku saved Aqua! I didn't expect things to go that bad for her in canon, but hey, he could pretty much have saved her from that too. Now she needs some sleep! Let's hope she can help saving Sora ~  
**_


	5. An endless sleep

_***waves at reader* Hello, and welcome to this fifth week of "this is frustrating to read"! In today's chapter, we will discuss naps, sleeping, and sleeping people. Quite a programme!**_

* * *

Riku had been back for three days, and Aqua was still asleep. Kairi was getting really concerned about it. According to Master Yen Sid, her vital signs were good, she wasn't suffering any physical injury ; and Riku had said that she only passed out of exhaustion and was feeling quite well when he last spoke with her. So why wouldn't she wake up?

"Maybe she's overwhelmed with Light?", Sora suggested while they were discussing it with everyone. Riku frowned and looked at him.

"The Light? What do you mean? She's from this Realm."

"She is, but she spent more than a decade trapped in a place where the only Light she ever came across was her own, right? And we put her in a Tower radiating of Light, with a Princess of Heart… This could be too much for her."

"Are you telling me she won't wake up because of me?" Kairi felt hurt at this thought. Was she the reason Aqua was still unconscious? Wasn't Light supposed to be the outright good? Could Light hurt? She had seen it hurt Sora before. What she hurting Aqua too?

"Now, now, let's not jump to conclusions.", Master Yen Sid said, stroking his beard. "I need to investigate on this, but I doubt Light is to blame for that."

"Yeah, right." Lea smiled and put a hand on Kairi's shoulder. "Maybe she just likes napping. You know, in my golden days, I could take five naps a day. Ah, good times, Saïx would just burst into my room and throw anything he could find at me so I'd wake up…"

His grip on Kairi's shoulder got tighter, but she didn't say a thing. She noticed Riku glaring at Lea's hand, and she refrained herself from giggling as much as she could. It was no secret that Riku and Lea weren't exactly friends. They tolerated each other's existence. Kairi couldn't blame Riku, not when she had been been just as defiant as Riku was, but she wished they would try to know each other a bit more.

Maybe she was a little bit disappointed that Sora had no reaction over how close to her Lea was now. Of course, nothing would ever happen between them, but maybe she expected Sora to be a bit jealous, just like he used to be when they were younger and Riku wanted to tease him. Kairi closed her eyes. In such dark days, there wasn't much place for romance anyway. That could wait a bit longer. That could wait until they'd got rid of Sora's darkness.

"Mysterious Tower to Kairi, I repeat, Mysterious Tower to Kairi, do you copy?"

She snapped out of her thoughts, noticing how four pair of eyes - including these scrutinizing yellow eyes - were staring at her.

"Oh, sorry. What was it?"

Riku sighed and rolled his eyes. "We were talking about how to help Sora, and said that maybe your Light could help cleanse his heart."

She looked at Sora. The boy shivered, a frown on his face. "Your blade hurt me before. Your Light hurt me before. I don't want to feel that pain again." His lower lip started quivering, as he shot her a desperate look. "Please, Kairi."

It broke her heart into tiny pieces. If only holding her Keyblade had burnt him so hard, how could she inflict him even more pain? Was her Light only a way of hurting people?

"There must be another way. He's right, Riku, Master Yen Sid. He won't survive my Light. I won't hurt him, especially when we don't even know whether this will work or not."

Riku smiled at Kairi. "Remember the time Sora turned into a Heartless? I don't think he could have been any darker than that. And yet, it was _your_ Light that saved him. I'm sure he doesn't risk a thing. But of course, we won't try unless both of you are willing to give it a shot."

Kairi let that sinking in. She had saved Sora before - why wouldn't it work now? She had no idea what she did last time, though. All that she tried was to protect him. If that was enough, then he would be saved in an instant, because she wanted more than ever to save him. To see the Sora she loved again.

"I can't do it."

A silence followed. Every pair of eyes were now on Sora. The boy was staring at the table, looking really sorry.

"Guys, I… I don't think you can understand how painful it was when I held that keyblade. It felt like my whole body was being torn apart. It felt like I was thrown in a pit of fire. Every inch of my skin burnt. It felt like a million needles in my muscles, in my brain. It felt like I had swallowed shards of glass. And even now, I can still feel this pain in my body. I can't try that again. I really can't."

Kairi took his hand with a comforting smile. In a way, she felt better now that he refused. She shared his fear of causing him some more pain. "No worries. I'm sure we'll find some other way, one that isn't painful for you. Riku, what about that Keyblade Sora had used and that turned him into a heartless? Couldn't that take the Darkness out of his heart?"

Riku slowly shook his head. "I don't know, but this keyblade isn't in our possession. I doubt we can ask Xehanort if he'd let us borrow it." Kairi shivered at the idea, while Sora chuckled.

"What? Can't we send him a note ' _Hey, mind if we borrow that thing from you for a couple of hours? Will return in perfect condition. Best regards, the guardians of light'._ Maybe that'll work."

"Sora, this is serious! We want to help you."

He shrugged, burying his hands in his dark hair. "You know, I might have an idea, but… I don't think you will like it."

Yen Sid put his elbows on the table, crossing his fingers. "We're all ears, my boy. Feel free to suggest anything - after all, you might know more than us on this topic."

"We need to remove something that is rotting my heart, right? At the moment, and even without the Darkness, my heart is still a mess, because I have a fragment of Ventus's heart in me."

"And Roxas." Lea quickly added, gritting his teeth. Sora gave him a quick nod.

"What if we tried to return Ventus's heart to its owner? This could generate enough light, _my_ light, to fight that Darkness. This is just a theory, of course, but Ventus might be the key to my… cleansing. What do you think?"

For a while, nobody answered. And when they did, they all did at the same time.

"There is no proof that this will work." Master Yen Sid said.

"Will Roxas be saved in the process?" Lea said.

"We don't know where Ventus is." Riku said.

Only Kairi didn't talk. She simply observed Sora. When he realised she was staring at him, he flashed her a grin, but she felt like something was off. Of course, she kept repeating to herself, he was tainted with Darkness. And yet, he was willing to change, to be saved. It was only normal to feel he wasn't himself, but he was helping them helping him, and that was all that mattered.

"If only Master Aqua woke up.", Kairi finally said. "Maybe she will know where he is."

"So… You're willing to give my idea a chance?" Sora asked, his eyes sparkling.

"If Aqua was awake, we would ask her what she thinks of it. The issue is still the same: as long as she's asleep, we're stuck." Riku sighed. "But I think this could be worth a shot. At least, even if it doesn't work, we will have located Ventus and we will be able to take him to safety with us. With Aqua. Where he belongs."

Sora slowly nodded, a shy smile on his face. "Thank you. You are right, we should bring Ventus back to where he belongs. If my plan doesn't work, we'll try something else, but he at least will get what he deserves. All we have to do is wait for Aqua to wake up."

"If Ven's heart returns to him, we will still be able to save Roxas, _right_?"

Only silence answered Lea, for none of them had the answer to that.

* * *

 _ **Lea's question is pretty valid, and is one of my biggest concern! (while the trailers somehow reassured me on that, they raise other concerns instead)  
**_

 _ **Also, I'm trying to get on Discord! Looks like a nice place to chat with people... However I don't understand how it works so right now I'm sliiightly confused haha But one day I'll get it!**_

 _ **We're getting a heatwave around here, it's damn too hot, can I go back home and have a seasalt icecream please? I'll go to the beach with my friends! And then something terrible will happen to us and we are likely to never meet again, but hey... At least I would have had an ice cream beforehand!**_


	6. The words of a friend

_**Looks like someone's gotta sleep a little bit longer, because right now, Sora just wants to talk! I am really happy about all the positive things I'm receiving about this fic. This isn't a really dynamic story, much more based on characters talking than on action so I was worried readers might find it boring... But if you do, you're doing a great job at hiding it! So thank you for your support!**_

* * *

The next day, Sora knocked on Kairi's door, surprising her.

"Say, can I ask you a favour?"

There was a kind of softness in his golden eyes that didn't make her shiver as much as it used too. She smiled at him kindly.

"Of course. What is it?"

For a few seconds, he remained silent, staring at her. Then, shaking his head, he tried a shy smile. "Well, I… I lost most of my memories. The only ones I have left are…" He shivered and squeezed his eyes shut, before opening them again slowly. "They aren't things I'd like to remember, actually. I was wondering if you could tell me happy memories. Things that we shared. Fun things we did, stupid things we did. Anything that would define _who_ I was."

Kairi gasped and reached out for his hand. He tensed a bit, as if he feared that she would actually hurt him, but relaxed when her fingers wrapped around his own. She nodded, shocked. "Of course. I will tell you everything. How about we call Riku and we talk, then? Just the three of us, like old times."

"I would… I would like that. Yes."

She smiled at him, putting her free hand on his cheek. "Very well, then. Wait for me in the library - remember ? Third floor, fourth door on the left. I'll go get Riku and ask the others not to disturb us." Sora nodded, and they both went their own way.

She pounded Riku's door, hoping he would be here. He was, and he opened the door in a hurry, worried about the sound.

"Kairi? Is anything wrong?"

She looked at him, ready to tell him about their new plans for the day, but the words got stuck in her throat. Her hands started shaking, her lower lip quivering, her eyes filling up with water.

"Kairi, tell me.", Riku gently said, although concern was now painted all over his face. Kairi gritted her teeth, angry at herself.

"I had promised myself… I'd promised I wouldn't cry, that I would stay strong. And look at me now."

"You are one of the strongest person I know, Kairi.", he said as he put his hand on his head. "I don't even know how you managed to handle this for so long without breaking down. But never forget I'm there if you want to speak. I will listen. I'm right there."

She nodded, quickly blinking, not allowing a single tear to roll, and smiled at him. Even when putting aside the Sora situation (which wasn't an easy thing to put aside), she had missed Riku a lot. "Thank you. Thanks a lot. That's not even why I came her for today, honestly. It's about Sora. He wants us to help him remember things, talk about the past. Would you mind joining me?"

Riku shot her a radiant smile, which was a really rare sight. "Let's do this. It's really a good sign that he wants to remember - maybe he is his own remedy to Darkness, after all."

"Let's hope so." They had the same sparkle in their eyes - hope. Sora wasn't beyond salvation. And he wanted to be saved.

Riku went to ask Lea and Master Yen Sid not to disturb them, while Kairi went to make some tea, and they met up in front of the library door.

"Worried?"

"A bit.", she admitted with an embarrassed smile. What if nothing worked? What if Sora didn't react at all? But there was only one way to find out, and Riku pushed the door with an encouraging smile.

Sora had set up three comfy armchairs in a circle, and welcomed them with a smile. They all took a seat, staring at each other with an awkward silence for a while.

"So you want to know more about your past, right?" Riku finally asked, as Kairi sighed, relieved. She was anxious.

"Yes. Anything, any information on the Sora you knew would be really helpful."

"Sure. Is there anywhere you'd like us to start from?"

Sora shrugged. "Anything that comes to your mind."

And so, Kairi and Riku started to tell stories. About that day when they slept over at Riku's. About the days spent at the beach. About that time they went to the amusement park together. About school, about daily life. About what Sora liked to eat or not. About his last birthday party. He listened, occasionally asking some questions. They talked, and talked, and soon night fell, and they add to postpone the rest of the stories for the next day.

When Kairi got into the library in the next morning, Riku wasn't there yet, but Sora was.

"Did you sleep well?"

He yawned. "I don't know. I've had a weird dream, where I saw a lot of things… I think they were memories, but when I woke up, they faded away before I could remember them."

Kairi smiled, her heart jumping in her chest. "That's good, then! They must be coming back slowly. Don't you worry, I'm sure that soon enough, you will remember everything."

"There's something I remember, though." His voice was distant, as if he had thought out loud. She let him finish his thought. "About you. And about me."

"What is it?"

"We shared something special, didn't we?"

Her heart was now pounding in her chest. She did her best to keep a neutral face. "What do you mean by that?"

"Well, Riku and I were best friends. This, I know, and it's easy to tell from all the stories that you shared. But the two of us… I don't know how to explain it, but I think we were… Something else? Something really important. You mattered a lot to me, in a different way of Riku."

She ignored the stabbing of his use of the past, to focus on what he really meant. When she answered, her voice was shakier than she expected, but it was still inteligible. "Yes, I would say that we were. We never took time to talk about that, though. And I think now might not be the best time… Not until we've got peace back. But that's something we will need to talk about. In time."

She smiled at Sora, who gave her a light-hearted smile (how ironic, she thought) in response. If only she could forget for one second these golden eyes…

Riku gently knocked on the door. She suspected he might have been here a bit longer, but had kindly gave them some privacy, and she mentally thanked him for that.

He sat next to her, facing Sora, a cup of coffee in his hand. She noticed that this was the first time she saw him drinking coffee, and that somehow made her realise how much time had gone by since they left their Island. She missed her parents, and promised herself she'd visit them soon.

"So, where should we start today?"

"How about telling him how much he cared about us, to the extent of giving us presents every day?"

"I… I did?" Sora asked, puzzled. Riku frowned and punched Kairi's shoulder (gently), while she burst into laughter.

"Kairi, stop teasing him. No, Sora you did not. Don't trust her, she's only trying to get you to buy her presents."

"Oh, I see."

"I'm sorry, Sora", she giggled. "I just had to. It was worth a shot!" Riku eventually started laughing too, and Sora smiled.

They returned to sharing memories, and Sora looked like he was still greatly interested in them, even though it didn't look like it rang any bell. The simple fact that he dreamt about it the night before was enough of a good sign for Kairi.

The sun was about to set, and they were in the middle of telling Sora that story about how he once broke his leg while falling from a tree when Lea burst into the room, out of breath.

"Hey guys, I'm sorry to interrupt, but… Master Aqua's awake."

* * *

 ** _ABOUT TIME! Who do you think you are to sleep for so long? VENTUS? Maybe she was waiting for her Prince to come and kiss her... Maybe that's what happened... 8D (spoiler : no, it's not. Kissing sleeping people is not okay, unless you are dating that person and you know they won't mind. Otherwise don't do it. Please. Just don't. )  
_**

 ** _I'm glad my girl wakes up, I'm not used to writing fics where she isn't here hahaha_**


	7. The awakening of the lost one

**_Wow, Wednesday already? Time sure flies! I am in denial that we are already in August though. Anyway, let's see if Aqua drooled in her sleep!_**

* * *

Master Yen Sid was standing next to the bed when they got into the room. Aqua was sitting, her legs still under the blankets, her face really pale. The second Kairi's eyes met the young Master's, she suddenly remembered. She was just a child, and the memories were fuzzy, but this person saved her from monsters before. Heartless? Hard to tell, but she was at least sure that the woman sitting there was the reason Kairi was standing there today as well.

Aqua looked at all of them, newcomers in the room, and weakly smiled. She looked exhausted - and once again, Kairi admired her for her strength, after all this time spent alone. She felt intimidated, too, almost too shy to really step into the room. Lea did not have such worries, and shoved Kairi forward with a big pat on the back. She almost heard Riku growl, but when she looked at her best friend, he was smiling back at Aqua, stepping forward.

"How are you feeling? Would you like something to drink? To eat?"

She stared at him for a few moments in silence, before sighing. "How do I feel? I feel old. You used to be just a child, and you are almost an adult now."

Riku chuckled, and she did, too. Kairi was stunned. She was _laughing_. She had spent a decade in the worst place there could ever be, and she still managed not only to smile, but to laugh as well. Of course, her eyes still lacked some light, and her laughter some conviction. Her voice was raspy, consequence of not having anyone to talk to for a long time. And yet, she looked so alive. Kairi decided that if she could ever become at least one percent as amazing as Aqua, her life would be complete.

Aqua slowly inspected every single one of them with her clear blue eyes. When she looked at him, Lea grinned and winked. When she looked at her, Kairi had no idea what to do, and curtsied - cursing under her breathe as she heard Lea snicker, but she had no idea how to react to such an impressive figure of bravery. When she looked at him, Sora didn't react. He looked pale as well. Was he even breathing? Kairi wasn't sure. Aqua herself was frowning at him, slowly hunching her shoulders. It took too long to Kairi to understand, and when she did, she gasped. The eyes. Aqua was staring at the golden eyes with awe, a terrible reminder of her past.

"Ma-Master Aqua, this is Sora." she hastily stuttered. "I think you have heard of him be-before?"

Aqua slowly nodded, her eyes still on the boy. Kairi looked at him. "Say something." she whispered. He was staring at Aqua just as much as she was staring at him. His face void of any expression, he finally spoke. "Slept well?"

He had barely finished speaking that Aqua had summoned her keyblade, pointed at him. He jumped back, and Riku and Kairi both had summoned their own weapons as a reflex, protecting him.

"Vanitas." Aqua hissed, her face suddenly full of anger. "I'd recognize that voice anywhere. That Darkness anywhere. Even after all this time…"

"Aqua, wait!" Riku slowly stepped in front of Sora, shielding him with his own body. "Things got complicated while I was gone to look for you - but this is Sora."

The Master shook her head. "I remember what Sora looked like. And this voice, it's Vanitas's. Even when I've never seen his face, that's not a voice I'd ever forget."

"Riku's right, Master Aqua." Kairi discarded her keyblade, showing her hands in a sign of peace. "This is Sora. Right after Riku left, he got… Kidnapped by Xehanort. They corrupted his heart with Darkness. He escaped, though, and since then, we are trying to cure him. We are making some progress every day. I don't really know who Vanitas is, but I can swear this voice is Sora's. I could feel some Light in him. Sora's Light. He lost his memories, but… He remembered Riku. He remembered me." Her voice cracked, and she stopped talking. Aqua looked at Sora for a bit longer, but her eyes weren't as harsh as they were.

"You really are Sora, then?" The boy shrugged, still keeping his distance.

"I'm Sora. She's Kairi. He's Riku. So far, that's all I'm certain of. I know that Xehanort did horrible things… including some to me," he shivered, "and I know they are more afraid of me than they want me to know, and I know I cannot summon my keyblade, and that I've got so much Darkness that pure Light burns me." He sighed. "You don't have to trust me. I don't mind."

Aqua closed her eyes and, for a moment, Kairi feared the Master was passing out again. But when she opened them again, all suspicion was gone, replaced by a great kindness. She softly smiled. "I'm sorry I was rude to you. Vanitas is one of the people responsible for my… Excuse me, Sora. I shouldn't have judged you so quickly. If I can be of any help, let me know. I know way too much what Darkness can do." She shook her head and her smile got brighter. She looked at Riku.

"Did you mention food earlier? I haven't eaten anything in forever. Feed me anything and that will be the best food I've had in a decade!"

She laughed, and Riku laughed, and everyone laughed as well - everyone, but Sora and Master Yen Sid. Aqua tried to get up, helped by Lea. She took a few hesitant steps, and when she was finally steady enough to walk by herself, Lea let go of her, ready to catch her if she tripped. She had slept for a long time, after all.

"A meal, a shower, and then…" She looked at Master Yen Sid gravely. "And then I think we need to talk about what happened while I was gone. Riku told me what he knew, but I think there are some things only you or Mickey can really tell me."

"Of course. But for now, let's get you something to eat. You will know all that you want to know, but if your body is rested, your mind is not. As you might expect, I do not have wonderful news to bring to you, so it's best if you hear it once you are feeling better."

The moment could have felt really serious, if her stomach didn't rumble very loudly. Lea burst into laughter. "Time to feed the Master, we get it! You must try my cheese soufflé - it won't be the best thing you've had in a decade, but the best thing you'll ever have in your _life_!"

"Lea, I think she's hungry right now, she won't wait for a hour or so." Teased Kairi, although it was true that Lea was quite the cook, and his soufflés were delicious.

"Alright, then we'll settle for a toastie. Do you like tomatoes? I put onions in them, too. Any food allergies? Oh, I think we still have strawberries, if Kairi hasn't eaten them all. Let's have strawberries for dessert!"

Aqua followed them with a smile, and Kairi sighed, relieved that her friend was offering enough distraction so that the Master wouldn't have time to dwell on sad thoughts. Kairi slowed down, to walk next to Sora.

"Everything okay? You look a bit pale since you saw her. Is anything wrong?"

He shook his head. "I'm fine," he said although his eyes said the opposite. "It's just that… I know what Darkness feels like. I know how it eats you up inside. I don't understand how she can be so sane after so long."

Kairi smiled, taking his hand. "I know, right? She's amazing. I don't think I would have lasted long down there. But now that she's awake, she can help us help you. Isn't that great? Master Yen Sid is right, we cannot press her with our ideas right now, she needs some rest. But we'll ask her when she's ready." Kairi hesitated, stopping. Sora stopped too, his hand still in hers. "What's wrong, Kairi?"

"She… She called you Vanitas. Do you know this person? Have you heard about him, when you were… _there_?"

His expression hardened, his grip on her fingers tightening, almost painfully. He looked away.

"Yeah, I heard about him. Nothing good. No wonder he works with _them_ \- he's not a nice person."

Kairi shivered. "I hope I'll never meet him, then."

Sora squeezed her hand in silence.

* * *

 _ **Mmmh? Did someone say FRUSTRATION? Why would it be FRUSTRATING to see Kairi shutting Aqua's doubts down? Why would it be FRUSTRATING to see that everyone quickly dismisses the thought of their friend not being who they think he is? I HAVE NO IDEA REALLY**_

 _ **Also, in case anyone's wondering why Aqua is so quick to believe them: she has spent ten years away. She knows the world has changed a lot, and she knows things she knew might be different from how they are now. So if a group of people she trusts tell her to trust someone else, why wouldn't she...? 8D**_


	8. What happened so far

_**I'm a day late to post, sorry about that! I was feeling sick yesterday and stayed away from my computer. But I survived, so here I am with chapter 8! (wow it's been 8 weeks already?!)**_

* * *

"What do you want to know first?"

Kairi had been allowed to join the meeting - actually, they all were here. Sora came because they thought it could be a good opportunity to learn more about his past. Lea came because he could add some elements to Yen Sid's story. Riku and Kairi had no good reason to come, other than their curiosity, but Master Yen Side finally allowed them in with a sigh.

Aqua was sitting on a chair, facing Master Yen Sid, looking really calm. Only the way she twisted her fingers betrayed how anxious she was. They had dinner the day before without mentioning anything that might have happened from one side or the other, and they did the same for breakfast. Only meaningless, cheerful chatter had been allowed. But now that they were all gathered in Master Yen Sid's office, serious business was happening, and the atmosphere was suddenly really dense.

"I don't know where to start," Aqua admitted. "There's so much to know. And so much I am not sure I want to know." She closed her eyes, taking a deep breathe in. Kairi stared at her with admiration, once more. If she were to disappear for ten years, if the World as she knew it had changed so much, what would she want to know first? There was one obvious question, but Kairi guessed Master Aqua might be too scared to ask.

"Okay. First question. Xehanort is still alive, right?"

Sora let out a sarcastic laughter that surprised everyone. When Aqua tensed and turned to him, he shrugged with an apologetic smile. "Sorry. You just started with the most complicated question you could ask."

"Long story short, yes, he is alive." Sighed Lea. "Story made a bit longer, there are thirteen of them, now. For the whole, long, complicated story, I'll leave that to Master Yen Sid."

"Later, then", Aqua answered. "For now I'd like to get short answers, that will be developed later on. If that is fine with you."

Yen Sid quietly nodded. Aqua thought for a moment. "Is his plan still to forge the X-Blade?"

Kairi frowned. To forge a Keyblade? She must confess that her training with Lea had been more focused on practice, and she lacked knowledge on Xehanort's real plan (other than worlds domination).

"This is one of his many plans, yes." Yen Sid answered sternly. "But not the only one, I am afraid. His goal is to gather all Thirteen Vessels of Darkness, to forge the X-Blade, and ultimately to bring chaos to the worlds by starting a new Keyblade War."

"The Keyblade War? Like the one in the legends? Then we need Seven Lights to fight, don't we? Do you have them all?"

"It's… a matter of time." Riku answered, glancing at Sora. Of course, with their main light gone, it wouldn't be easy.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but… What is this special Keyblade he wants to forge?" Kairi asked, feeling embarrassed to ask about something everyone else seemed to know. This time, it was Master Aqua herself who answered.

"The X-Blade, written with a X, is a very ancient and powerful weapon. The Ultimate Keyblade, if you wish. Xehanort already tried to forge it before, using Ven's pure heart, and Vanitas's corrupted one. Which leads me to my next question: is Ventus still safe?"

Kairi noticed that Aqua was gripping tightly the armrests of her chair, her nails dug in the fabric.

"We assume he is. But since we don't know where he is, we cannot be sure."

"Also we know that his heart is within Sora's. So I'm sure he is safe." Riku gently smiled at Aqua, but instead of relaxing, she tensed.

"This could have been some reassuring news, but… Didn't you say he kidnapped Sora? Is there any chance he could have somehow gotten Ven's heart meanwhile?"

Everyone's eyes quickly switched to Sora, who winced, uncomfortable. Kairi felt bad for him. To this day, no one had dared asking him what he'd been through - but now might be the time. She took his hand.

"Sora, I'm sorry to ask you that, but… Do you think you could tell us what you really remember?"

He gripped her hand tightly, and she could tell he was scared. She could tell he remembered more than what he wanted. To be fair, she never told anyone what Xehanort had done in the time he had her captive, even though that still haunted her dreams.

"I don't want to… Kairi, please, I can't…"

"It's okay. He doesn't have to." Aqua said softly, obviously moved by his terror. But Kairi shook her head. "I think he does, or else it will eat him up. Take your time, Sora, but you have to tell us what you remember. Just know that you are among friends, among people who love you. It's fine. You are fine, now. They cannot hurt you."

Riku offered him a seat, and Sora sat, his eyes closed, his hand still clutching Kairi's. She noticed he was shaking. She felt bad for that, but they needed to know.

"I remember… Pain. A lot of pain. They tried to extract my Light, day after day. They said I only needed Darkness. That I would be more powerful without a heart. That I would never be regarded as one of them with a heart, even a shattered one like mine. The pain, the pain was unbearable. It burnt, it stung, it made me sick."

"How did you escape?"

"I… I don't know. One day, they left one of their portals open for longer than usual, and I rushed through it. I landed in that city I didn't know, and I ran for as long as I could before the pain became too strong and I passed out. Next thing I know, I opened my eyes and you were there, Kairi. And I couldn't remember a thing from my past."

She smiled at him, squeezing his hand. He had been through a lot… Though too much. They tortured him, forcing Darkness around his heart. Trying to get all of his Light away. How painful that must have been! No wonder he had changed so much.

"And did they succeed?" Aqua's voice was soft, but also really firm. Sora looked at her.

"Succeed?"

"Did they get your Light out? Is Ventus compromised?"

Sora gaped. "I… I don't think so. I don't think they had what they wanted. They sounded really angry all the time."

"Good." Aqua sighed, and her shoulders relaxed at last. "I'm really sorry all of that happened to you. I hope I don't sound rude by looking relieved when you've been through so much… I was just so worried about Ven…"

"Hey, don't apologise!" Lea winked at her. "It's true, he's been through a lot. But so have you. I'm sure Sora understands."

Sora slowly nodded, and Aqua smiled. "Still, that is really inappropriate of me. Let's find a way to help you."

"Before that… Don't you want to know about Terra?" Aqua instantly tensed at Master Yen Sid's words, Kairi noted. Terra. The third lost Wielder.

"I thought I did." She said. "When I was in the Realm of Darkness, I wondered every day about them. About what happened. I wanted to know if they were safe. But now… The simple fact that he isn't here with you if enough of an answer. I guess that's all I want to know for now. So, any suggestion on how to help Sora?"

"Yeah, about that…" tried Lea, uneasy. Sora didn't share his embarrassment, though.

"Ventus might be the key. He needs me, and I need him too. I'm sure he can help me go back to who I used to be."

Her fingers still wrapped around his, Kairi looked at Sora. Even though she knew what he meant, she couldn't help but shiver at the way he put it.

 _It's going to be okay, Kairi. We are saving Sora,_ she repeated to herself. It would have been easier if she believed it.

* * *

 ** _Wow. Much suspense. Such surprise. Very shicking.  
_**

 ** _I'm sure Aqua will love the idea of this Vanitas sound-alike going near Ven. Oh. Wait. Kairi said it was safe. So Emo-Sora is probably harmless, Kairi said so herself. 8D_**


	9. The departure

Master Aqua spent three days almost locked with Master Yen Sid 24/7, really catching up all she had missed. Kairi suspected that she wasn't really keen on telling where Ventus was, either. She couldn't blame her - there was no telling it would work, and that could potentially put Ventus at risk. They'd see her for meals, and her composure never failed to impress Kairi. The Master always had a very sad sparkle in her eyes, but she kept on smiling, and she was really nice. When she wasn't with Yen Sid, she'd give Lea and Kairi some tips for casting spells, spar a bit with Riku, or stare at the horizon for a very long time.

"She fears me." Kairi turned her head to see Sora staring at Aqua. She smiled at him.

"She doesn't. She really wants to help you, you know."

"No need to comfort me. She does her best to pretend she doesn't, but she fears me, she escapes the room if it's only the two of us, and she won't meet my eyes. I'm not angry. People with yellow eyes have ruined her life. Don't tell me even you aren't scared of me sometimes."

Kairi flushed. "What? Of course I don't…" She stared at her hands, resting on her knees. "Yes. I'm sorry. I really don't want to… I mean, we already saved Riku from Darkness once. I think I am more afraid that we cannot find a way to help you."

"And would that be bad?" She looked at him, surprised. He was staring at the sky now, his golden eyes filled with a strange melancholy. "If I couldn't be helped. If I never turned back to who I was. Would you hate me? Would you think I'm broken, and leave me behind?"

She frowned, putting her fists on her hips. "You are not broken, Sora. You have changed, it's true. And for now, I selfishly think that I want the Sora I knew back. But if there is a thing that I learnt, it is that a heart can grow back. Lea taught me that. You know, you are already so much different from when we found you! You still don't laugh a lot, but I've seen you smile. You are remembering things from your past. Maybe we cannot bring the old Sora back, even if that's painful to admit. But even if you changed, you're still here, you're still you. I can live with that. I can get used to the dark hair and the golden eyes. As long as you can be happy, I don't think there's anything else I could wish for."

One of his arms moved towards her, as for an awkward attempt to embrace her. She jumped on her feet, and he quickly pulled his arm back, looking embarrassed. She chuckled, taking his hands in hers.

"One hand on each side of me." She said as she moved his hands accordingly. "Then you put them on my back. You pull me closer. Hold tight, but not too tight. There you go, professional hugger!" She chuckled, resting her head on his chest, her eyes closed. She could hear his heart beating, maybe a bit faster than usual. _Hang on tight, we'll find a way, Sora_.

When she opened her eyes again, Aqua was looking at them with a soft smile. Kairi noticed the Master had some tears in her eyes, probably thinking about her own friends. She returned the smile back, and Aqua walked to them.

"I've made my decision. Up to this point, to be honest, I wasn't sure I was ready to let anyone approach Ven. I was thinking about going all by myself, trying to figure a solution to wake him up on my own. I didn't know whether I could trust Sora or not. But seeing you like this… I was selfish. Let's go find Ventus together."

Sora relaxed in Kairi's embrace. Had he been nervous too that they couldn't try their plan? Maybe he wanted to be saved just as much as she wanted him to be.

"You're not planning to have all the fun without me, now, do you?"

Kairi slowly let go of Sora, grinning at Lea. "Well, we can leave with you, but do _you_ think you'll be awake? I've never met anyone sleeping so much, and yet I know Sora!"

"Naps are the secret of eternal youth, Kairi! You will see when you'll be an old granny and I will still look like I'm in my twenties!"

"What are you saying, you look thirty already!"

He put his hand on his heart in a dramatic gesture. Aqua laughed, and even Sora had a tiny smile.

"When do you want to leave?" Lea asked Aqua once they all calmed down a bit. She bit her lip.

"How about tomorrow morning?"

"Who should be coming?" Riku's calm voice surprised everyone. How long had he been there? He probably didn't want to interrupt anything. Kairi chuckled at the thought that Lea didn't have such worries, apparently.

"Well, we need Aqua to be there, of course, and me." Sora said, counting on his fingers. "Kairi, if you don't mind, do you think you could come…?"

"Why don't we all go? This Tower will be safe without us. If there's any complication, it might be best to have all the help you can have."

"Lea's right. We haven't heard from the King yet, but with the five of us, we should be alright. The choice is yours, Aqua, though."

Aqua looked at Riku, then at everyone else, thoughtful. After a short reflection, she nodded. "This is fine. The five of us… Let's just hope we won't need to fight."

"We should get some rest, then." Kairi added with a smile. "Tomorrow will be a big day. Let's go to sleep."

They all agreed, slowly going back to the Tower. Only Sora remained. Kairi looked at him, surprised. "Everything alright, Sora?"

"Yeah, I'm just… Nervous, I guess? Don't mind me. Go to sleep. I just need a bit of time to think, I'm going to bed soon." He smiled at her, and she smiled back. She started walking towards the door, when she stopped, running back to him, giving a light kiss on his cheek.

"No matter what happens tomorrow, my feelings for you won't change, so don't worry about that, okay?"

She ran back to the Tower without giving him time to answer.

The next day, as the sun started to rise, they were ready. Aqua was clutching a charm in her hand, very similar to the one Kairi had once given to Sora. Lea was playing with the straps of his coat. Kairi noticed that Riku's hands were shaking a bit. Sora seemed lost in thoughts. She smiled at them, taking both of their hands in hers. That way they couldn't notice she was shaking as well.

"Take care of you." Master Yen Sid told them. "If you feel that this mission is getting compromised, leave at once."

"And leave Ven behind?" Snapped Aqua. Lea chuckled and put his hand on her shoulder.

"We got it. We'll be extra cautious, won't follow any strangers even if they have sweets or puppies in their van, and we'll be back before sunset. Can we go now?"

Yen Sid glared at him but said nothing. Lea was as nervous as any one of them. He just used humour to try to conceal it.

"Master Aqua, which way to go?"

She exchanged a long look with Master Yen Sid. "We have talked about it a lot. The place Ven is sleeping in… It used to be called the Land of Departure. But you might know it now as Castle Oblivion."

Silence fell. Riku tensed. Lea gasped. "Master Aqua… The Castle has been one of the headquarters of the Organization for a while. How come no one ever found him?"

Aqua smiled, and summoned a very peculiar Keyblade, one that Sora had found on the shores of Destiny Island a while ago.

"Let's just say that I remembered to lock the door before leaving."

Lea nodded, and opened a portal. "Let's pray the lock is still there, then. Castle Oblivion, here we come."

Taking a deep breathe, Lea stepped into the portal first. Kairi squeezed her best friends' hands.

"Together?" she asked, and Riku smiled nervously. "Of course. Always." Sora didn't answer.

The three of them stepped into the portal, soon followed by Aqua.

It was time to wake Ventus up.

* * *

 ** _Castle Oblivion is a long way ahead, so in order to let our heroes reach this place, Dark Heart is taking a 1-week hiatus! (Yours truly is taking some summer vacations before they are over) So next chapter will be in two weeks, leaving you plenty of time to list all that could go wrong (Maybe a "Your princess is in another castle" ? :p )_**


	10. The sleeping boy

**_Prepare for trouble, and make it double! I'm back, yay! Having a break was really nice. Now that school has started again, I have a lot of catching up to do - including fics to read, that I am weeeeeks late to read! Anyway, for now, enjoy this chapter :D_**

* * *

Kairi had never been to Castle Oblivion, and she was both amazed and uneasy about the strange building. It looked like a Castle someone had built without reading the plan, with towers going horizontally instead of pointing towards the sky. She also realised she was the only newcomer here, but everyone shared her tension. Master Aqua's hands were shaking, and Kairi saw tears in her eyes.

"Master Eraqus, I'm home," the Master whispered.

Even Sora was tense, Riku and him both squeezing Kairi's hands really firmly.

"Home sweet home." Lea chuckled bitterly, pushing the Castle doors.

Everything was pure white, and Kairi was almost blinded at first. While the whole Realm around was dark and gloomy, the inside of the Castle was so bright it looked like the sun was trapped inside.

Master Aqua was looking everywhere with sad eyes, but she didn't say anything.

"Do you know the way?" When she didn't answer, Lea repeated his question while gently putting his hand on her shoulder. She looked at him with a start.

"I… I'm not sure. This place is different from when I lived here… But the Key will know the way."

"May your heart be your guiding key," whispered Riku. Aqua sadly nodded. "This time, the key itself will be our guide, I suppose."

She pointed her keyblade at the white door on the other side of the hall. At first, nothing happened. Then a beam of light hit the door, and a sound of door unlocking was heard.

"Hang in there, Ven. We're coming."

Everyone hasted to the door, until Kairi noticed Sora had stayed behind, his fist on his heart. Concerned, she hurried back to him. He was shaking.

"Sora? What's the matter?"

"Ventus. He's… here. I can feel it. I can feel how close he is. It's just that… After all that time… I guess my heart is longing to find him."

"Then let's go," Kairi smiled. "Let's join him. He's waiting for you, Sora."

The group had kindly waited for them before opening the door. Maybe Master Aqua was really nervous, too. She looked at them all, then, with shaking hands, she opened the door.

The room was as white as the previous one. It was empty, if not for a throne in the middle of it. Strange chains symbols gleamed on the walls, all the way to the huge seat.

Of course, this wasn't what got everyone's attention. The boy sitting on it was much more interesting, the only spots of colour of the room.

Riku looked at Aqua. The young Master was staring at the boy, her cheeks pink, her eyes glistening with joy, with longing.

Kairi should have looked at Sora, guessing how Ven's heart within him must react to its body being so close. But instead, she looked at Lea. Looked _for_ Lea. Her friend had stepped back as far as he could, his back against the wall, his eyes wide, his face livid. He was staring at the boy with a feeling Kairi couldn't name, something that looked between sadness, fear, angst. Just as she was about to ask him what was wrong, he finally talked.

"Hey, Aqua. Who's… Who's that?" Kairi noticed that he dropped the _Master_ , and thought that he must be really shaken up. She knew how much respect he had for Master Aqua. His voice had almost cracked.

"This is Ventus." There was so much love, so much pride in these three words Master Aqua said. But why was Lea acting so strange?

"Ven-Ventus. Your Ventus. The one you've been looking for."

"Himself."

"The one who's been sleeping for ten years, and never woke up, never left this room."

"Lea, talk to us." Kairi was really concerned now. Lea looked at her, and she could see tears in his eyes too. If everyone started crying, she might, too, she thought.

"It's just… He looks… Listen. I've met Ventus before, when I was a kid. And honestly, to this day, I couldn't remember his face, because he was just someone I saw for a couple of hours in my life. And now I look at him and I think that he might just be that kid who became my friend when I was a kid as well. And I know everything makes sense because he was in Sora's heart, and then Sora got a Nobody that looked nothing like him, but… What am I saying, I'm not even sure that makes sense anyway." Words were flowing from his mouth, escaping so quickly it was hard to even understand what he was saying. He sounded overwhelmed. But why would he be overwhelmed to see someone he barely even met?

"He looks just like Roxas." Riku's voice was so low, Kairi wasn't sure she heard him right. But seeing Lea's face, hearing his voice, listening to what he said, it made sense. Roxas was Sora's nobody. Created from Sora's and Ventus's hearts. Kairi had felt Roxas more than she had actually ever saw him, so Ventus's face didn't ring any bell, but it was clear Lea remembered pretty well.

Kairi walked to him, taking his hand in both of her.

"We will find Roxas too, Lea. There will be a way. You know that everyone in Radiant Garden is working very hard on finding a solution, and I trust that they will. Okay?"

He sniffed, nodding. He obviously didn't want to cry in front of her, in front of them, and he quickly wiped his tears.

"Yeah. You're right. Seeing this face is painful, though. If you need me, I'll be keeping an eye on the door, just in case something happens. Anyone wants to patrol with me?"

It was obvious that neither Sora or Aqua could leave just yet, and neither Riku or Kairi were ready to leave Sora when he was about to go with an experience that could go very right or very wrong. Lea smiled. "Never mind. Forget I asked. Call if you need anything." He left the room with a last heartbreaking look at Ventus, standing outside of the door.

Neither Aqua nor Sora had moved, even from an inch. They were staring at Ventus in silence. Kairi and Riku exchanged an amused looked, and both gently pushed one of them towards the sleeping boy.

"He won't disappear, Aqua. How long have you waited to be able to touch him again?" Riku chuckled.

"Come on, Sora. It is time to wake him up." Kairi hummed.

Aqua was the first one to move. She finally ran to Ventus, throwing her arms around him, kissing his cheeks, his forehead, his hair. Kairi suspected that the boy would have been heavily embarrassed if he had been awake. Aqua was crying and laughing at the same time, repeating "I'm back home, I'm back home" while rocking him. Had she not known the circumstances, Kairi would have worried that Aqua was losing it completely - but knowing all that she had gone through, she looked pretty sane right now. It was only when she finally raised her head, smiling at Sora - and Kairi noticed that all the light was back in her eyes - that the boy moved closer. Aqua let go of her friend, stepping back to give Sora some room.

The boy kneeled in front of Ventus, taking his hand. His eyes showed some happiness that Kairi wasn't sure she had ever seen from these golden eyes. He put that hand to his heart, closed his eyes and started whispering.

"Ventus. It's me. It's over now. Our heart will be complete again."

Kairi should have worried about his phrasing, but Sora looked so much at peace that she didn't pay attention to it. He looked at her. "Would you mind standing next to me? I think it might hurt…"

She hurried to his side with a smile. Anything to help him. She hoped he wouldn't hurt too much.

"Come on, Ven. The time to join with your better half has come."

Before Kairi had time to frown at that, she heard Lea's scream from the other side of the door.

"Kai! Run! IT'S A TRAP!"

She looked at Sora who was smiling at her. A cold, cruel smile. She felt a strange, tingling sensation in her stomach, and she looked down.

When Sora had said it would hurt, he had not meant _himself_ , she understood too late, as she could see that dark Keyblade sticking through her body, a terrifying blue eye on the handle staring at her.

* * *

 ** _Wait. What? Could it be... Could Sora be... No, no way! Sora's a good boy, right? That's what Kairi said. How could he?!  
_**

 ** _Now imagine this could have been the chapter riiight before the hiatus. I would have felt slightly sorry, haha. By the way, the fic doesn't have many chapters left! Ven was the main quest of the fic. There's not much left to happen... and yet, I guess there's still a lot to happen *wink wink wink*_**


	11. Gathering

_**Teaser alert: in this chapter, you will learn some shocking truth about Sora. Be prepared because I'm sure no one saw it coming.**_

* * *

Everything happened so fast, as yet it felt as if time itself had slowed down.

Someone slammed the door open, and several people wearing black burst into the room. One of them pointed his weapon ( _Xigbar_ , Kairi remembered) right at her head. Magic spells flew everywhere, too fast for Riku to react properly, the boy still shocked of Sora's attack. Master Aqua, obviously more used to thinking quickly, jumped next to Ventus, summoning a magical barrier to protect them both. Riku got hit by a powerful ice spell, and his body was encased in ice. He couldn't move - and neither could Aqua, if she wanted to keep on protecting Ventus.

And Sora was smiling.

"So...Ra?" Kairi's voice was merely a whisper. Strangely enough, while the wound hurt, the pain was taking its time to diffuse through her body. She understood what was happening. Time itself had not slowed down. But someone had cast a Slow spell on her - the wound was still lethal, she guessed, it would only take longer to die.

Sora remained silent, and she realised he tensed a bit when two other men came inside the room ; both of them walking peacefully. At the sight of the silver haired one, Kairi gasped. Xemnas. The leader of Organization XIII, who held her prisoner some years ago, and whom she still feared. Somehow, it looked like it was the other person, an older man with a bald head, that made Sora nervous. Before she could guess who he was, Aqua hissed his name.

"Master Xehanort."

"Ah, Aqua, child, there you are." He had the voice of a nice grandpa, but his words were full of poison. "I shall thank you. Without you, never we would have been able to find the Young Ventus."

"Stay away from him. I won't let you come anywhere close."

Xigbar laughed. "Are you sure about that? I mean, I have a gun pointed right at your lil' friend's head there. If you don't want to see the walls painted red, you know what to do."

"I'm… Dying… Anyway." Talking was a struggle, but Kairi had to state that. It was probably too late for her. Xigbar laughed again - a cold sound with no joy. "True that. I might as well change my target." Riku couldn't move. Even when Xigbar walked towards him and put the tip of his arrow right against his temple, he couldn't do a thing. No one could.

"Sora… Please…"

Sora rolled his eyes before giving her a consterned look. "Slow to get it, aren't you? And here I thought you were a clever one. Let me guess: your brain knows. It always knew. But your heart just won't listen, now, will it?"

Of course she had known. She had known from day one. Every cell of her body kept yelling at her that he wasn't Sora, and she ignored them. It was easier to pretend he had lost his memory. Easier to close her eyes when he remembered things that never happened. When he talked about how the three of them used to fight when they were kids, while she never fought with them. When he talked about the sea-salt ice creams they had shared, while she only had those with Lea. It was easier to pretend.

"So you are Vanitas. And you lied to them, to us all this time. You really are a monster."

"You know, Aqua, I was worried you'd see right through me. That's why I made sure to cast Sleep spells on you every day, at first, until I was sure they all trusted me. I even considered killing you in your sleep, but…" He tensed. "The higher ups wouldn't have liked it very much."

Kairi felt so stupid. So much of a fool. So _he_ was the reason Master Aqua slept for so long. And she was the one who convinced her he wasn't Vanitas.

"And just so that you know, I didn't even lie that much. Most of it was true. The less you lie, the more trustworthy you are. Whenever they doubted me, I just had to say something cute, pretend to remember something nice, and they would fall right back into it. They taught me how to be Sora."

All these days they spent sharing memories were just days giving him some material for his act. Kairi felt a bitter taste in her mouth. She had felt his pain. He had told them what tortures he had been through. _I didn't even lie that much?_ Why would they do that to one of theirs? He had said they tried to take his heart away, and she remembered the nights they spent talking, the few times she had seen him smile. Had she known, she might have been able to help him. But it was too late, now.

"So what now?"

Xemnas took a take forwards, and Kairi noticed Master Aqua was doing her best not to look at him. But when he stopped right in front of her, right in front of her barrier, she had no choice but to do so, and while Kairi didn't know why, she could read a great sadness on the Master's face.

"You haven't changed at all, Aqua."

"Have we met before? While your face is familiar, I am certain I do not know you." The sharpness of her voice impressed Kairi. Aqua would quickly be overpowered, and yet she didn't let fear coming through. Her voice was steady, proud. She would go down fighting. It encouraged Kairi to fight her own tears of frustration.

"Now, we don't need you losers anymore. We have Ventus. And soon, we will have the X-Blade. I have waited for so long… This war is over before even starting. Game over."

"Even if you have Ven, you won't…" Aqua stopped when another man stepped into the room. This face, Kairi knew as well. Young Xehanort. Holding on his arms the motionless body of…

"Sora!" Riku's scream covered Kairi's whisper, but both of their hearts yelled his name at the same time. Sora looked thinner, his cheeks hollow, his skin paler. The only sign that he was alive was the slow rising of his chest when he breathed. Kairi could barely feel his light. She could barely feel his life.

"We have Ventus's body and heart, now. We don't need any of you."

Kairi realised she didn't know what happened to Lea. And while she prayed he was alright, she knew he would have rushed into the room if he still was in shape to fight.

"If you merge with Ven, you will lose your identity, Vanitas. Is this what you want?" Aqua was clearly trying to save some time, even though Kairi knew no help was on the way. Unless Mickey would join them? She hold on to that thought, as Vanitas chuckled.

"Is it what I want? No. But if I don't, they will kill me, and I don't want that either. Besides… I am not _merging_ with him. I am _returning_ to him. Just like we used to be. I'm going home."

Kairi could hear the longing in his voice. His mask was breaking a bit, and she noticed he really was desperate to join Ventus. It wasn't about the X-Blade, or any plan from one side or another - his only goal had always been to find Ventus, and to be whole again, as he had said.

"You missed him." She stated with a raspy voice. She felt dizzy. Her whole body was pretty much numb now. She wasn't sure she'd be able to stay conscious long.

"I did." Vanitas conceded in a low voice. "He is me. I am him. You wouldn't understand." He touched her cheek with his fingers, almost gently. "I'm almost sorry to kill you. You reminded me of him. Naive, hopeless. Friendly."

"But if you don't… They'll hurt you again."

A sad light shone in his eyes. "You got it." He shook his head, wearing his cruel smile again. "Alright, I think time is up? We need the first Sleeping Beauty to wake up, so we can wake the second one!"

Kairi finally understood what had happened. Aqua had tried to save some time in order for Mickey to get here, but she hadn't been alone. _They_ had been saving some time, until Sora would wake up.

"I can't wait to see his reaction once we've killed both of his friends in front of his eyes."

They had been saving time to kill them while Sora was watching. His heart would then be at its weakest. It would be easier to get Ven's light back.

Sora's eyelids fluttered, heavy. He turned his head to see Kairi and Riku. Then he saw the arrow against Riku's head. The sword plunged into Kairi's stomach. He gasped, his eyes now wide open.

Kairi smiled at him, a single tear rolling down her cheek.

"I'm sorry, Sora. I love you."

Xigbar shot, and Vanitas pulled his weapon back. Sora screamed.

Time stopped being so slow.

Time stopped.

* * *

 ** _FINALLY! I CAN FINALLY CALL HIM VANITAS! Just so that you know, I didn't mean to hide his identity - it felt so obvious to me from the beginning that this wasn't much of a secret, more of a joke. But since none of the characters knew Van's real face, I decided to play along and to keep on pretending that was the good boi. If I were to rewrite anything, it would be the first chapter in which I wouldn't have mentioned his dark hair - if you thought he had silver hair, who knows, you could have been fooled too? (this fic original plot was "could Kairi turn Vanitas good if she thought he was Sora?" )  
_**

 ** _Also next chapter will be the last. See you there!_**


	12. Epilogue

**_Welcome to the conclusion of Dark Heart! I hope you will enjoy. Thanks for having read this far!_**

* * *

"Our next move will be to destroy that Tower. That old Wizard has been troubling us for too… Vanitas, are you even listening?"

Vanitas was staring at a star shaped charm in the palm of his hand. Of course he wasn't listening. The charm, still full of light, stung in his hand, but he didn't let go, his golden eyes locked on it.

"Did we really have to kill them?", he asked out of the blue. The creepy, bald, old man frowned.

"Don't tell me you have regrets. What did you want, to stay with them?"

Vanitas shrugged with a sigh. "Of course not. I know we needed Ventus. I know _I_ needed Ventus. And they were dumb. So optimistic. So oblivious to the world. They made me sick. Still…"

He was used to have negative feelings. He used to _be_ negative feelings. But now that he had merged with Ventus, now that the X-Blade had been forged and extracted from his heart, he was starting to feel things he had long forgotten. Ventus's own negativity. Regrets. Shame. Nostalgia. Guilt.

No matter how dumb Kairi had been, and even though Vanitas had known from the beginning he would betray her, he still felt a bit sad he had to kill her.

Sometimes, he woke up in sweat, remembering her face going pale as she collapsed. Remembering the pinch in his heart as she vanished into a cloud of light.

Ven's heart was reacting to Aqua's heartbroken scream. To Aqua's smile, to her tears, to her love, as she clung to Ventus's hand until she succumbed to Xemnas's attacks.

Kairi's death released Ven from Sora's heart. But it somehow scarred Vanitas just as much. When she vanished, all that was left was this charm. Vanitas collected it. When Aqua vanished, all that was left was her stupid, useless Wayfinder. Vanitas crushed it under his boot. Xemnas made sure to punish him for that later.

Xigbar took care of Riku. It had not been easy, even when the boy was still half frozen. Xigbar almost lost his other eye in the process. Vanitas wished he had. Mickey never came to their rescue, because the Organization had sent a committee to finish him. And, of course, Xehanort had the honour of taking Sora down. It wasn't even that much of a challenge. The death of his best friends made him limp, a meaningless ragdoll who wouldn't even fight back. He was dead even before he ran out of HP. Vanitas would have made fun of him, but he himself couldn't forget Kairi's death. Was it because he was somehow connected to Sora?

Or was it because she was the first person who ever treated him with love?

He was aware of how ridiculous that was. He had been there to toy with them. To toy with her. All that he said and done was part of the plan. He wouldn't forget the pain from the day he held her keyblade. She had hurt him, and he had been avenged. It was that simple.

Merging with Ven had hurt a bit. Extracting the X-Blade had hurt a lot. Having a full heart capable of feeling had hurt the most.

Because of that stupid heart, he couldn't forget her eyes. Her hair. Her smile. Her hugs.

At first, he had hated hugging her, even though it was a role he had to play. He had felt so vulnerable, so exposed, when being so physically close to someone. Close enough to get stabbed. He scoffed. In the end, he was the one who stabbed her. But as time went by, hug after hug, he started to relax at the touch. Had he been hugged before? Now that Ven was back, and their memories alongside, he remembered. He had been hugged before. He had friends before. But they were all dead, now. Well, almost all of them. Anyone who ever hugged him was dead. Maybe he should hug the old man Xehanort. There was no one he'd like to see dead more than him.

He stared blankly at the old man talking to him. His lips were moving, and he was probably scolding him for whatever reason, but Vanitas couldn't hear a word. The only thing he heard was a soft voice, whispering to his ear. _But if you don't… They'll hurt you again._ They would hurt him again anyway. For not listening at this point. For doing something wrong. They left him alive, but they didn't need him anymore. They had the X-Blade. And now that he had a full heart, they despised him even more.

He could have joined _them_. Kept on lying. It wouldn't have been hard, really ; amnesia was a really convenient excuse. Let Sora die in the hands of the Norts. Let Kairi tell him funny stories. Make sure Aqua never woke up, never led them to Ventus. There was the issue: he had needed Ventus. Not for any kind of world domination plan, but because he had been longing to be united with him again. He hated Ventus, he hated all that he was, but he was still _him_ , and they were meant to be together. Now he could hate himself instead, and that felt better, because at least he was whole. A whole heart full of hate on each half of it.

All he had left to remember these few weeks he had spent as Sora, he had spent being loved, was a tiny, fragile charm in his hand. A charm that had never been meant for him, a charm he stole from a corpse. A charm that still was his most precious possession.

"Remember that if you mess this up, I won't be as conciliant as I used to-"

"Whatever. I'm going to my room." He jumped from his chair without sparing a look at his Master. He knew he was going to pay for that later, but he was used to it. He felt pain a bit stronger now that his heart was complete, but he knew what to expect. That boring plan had no interest anyway. They would go. Someone would mess things up. He would be the punished one anyway. That wouldn't be the first time.

Someone was playing some music really loud in the room next to his. He summoned a Hareraiser, and took it into his arm. The tiny creature squeaked as he petted it. Would _she_ have liked it? It looked pretty cute. She was a girl. He supposed girls liked cute things. That was what Ven's heart told him. But Aqua was a girl, too, and she hated them, she had kept on destroying them, so he wasn't sure he could trust that. His Unversed were just the best company he could have around, so he always made sure to have one around. They acted as watchdogs when he slept. He didn't trust anyone in this Organization, and his _pets_ were the only one who'd keep him safe when he couldn't.

Even before he pushed his door, his Unversed tensed, telling him there was someone in his room. He summoned his Keyblade - now that Ventus was back, Void Gear was no more, and neither was Wayward Wind ; he instead had a weapon somehow in between, that still had that creepy blue eye staring at him. It wasn't the blue eye he wanted to see.

He carefully pushed the door, ready to defend himself if needed. But there was only one person in the room, waiting patiently sitting on the bed, and who welcomed him with a mysterious smile. Marluxia. He had known him under another name, long ago, but these times were over now.

"We would like to have a word with you, Vanitas."

 _We_? Someone closed the door behind them, and he winced. He had not noticed her. He was now locked in his own room with two incredibly suspicious people, and he wasn't sure he could beat them both.

"Sorry, you have to get an appointment for that," Vanitas snarled. He wasn't in the mood for mind games. Marluxia simply nodded.

"I think you might be interested by what we have to say, however."

"Just shut up and listen." _she_ said, and Vanitas frowned. He disliked Larxene a lot. She was as violent as the rest of them, but she was the most sadistic one.

"What would you say about being free?"

"I am free." Vanitas shrugged. Even he didn't believe that, but he said it anyway.

"Then what would you say about… Having the power to get rid of those in your way? Would you like that?"

Vanitas thought about Kairi. She was in his way. He got rid of her. He didn't like that. Larxene sighed. "You don't like metaphors, do you? Me neither. Marluxia is a romantic. You and I are pragmatic. Do you want to get your revenge on Xehanort, by making him suffer and die?"

He gasped. Could she really talk that freely? Then he remembered the music in the corridor, and wonder how much of this they had thought through. How much they expected him to agree.

He was about to refuse. It looked troublesome, and he just wanted quiet. He was about to blackmail them, to threaten to tell everyone about their rebellious thoughts in order to get them to work for him. He was about to do a lot of things.

And then he remembered that Xehanort made him kill his only friend. The one who welcomed him with a smile every morning. The one who doubted, who feared him, and yet hid these feelings in order not to hurt him. The one who, in the end, and while he was killing her, _understood_ him.

Xehanort was responsible for his nightmares, for his guilt, for his sadness. Xehanort had hurt Ventus a lot, and he had hurt him a lot too.

Xehanort had to pay.

His golden eyes started shining again. A smirk gone for too long appeared on his face. His heart, the perfect balance of Light and Darkness, started racing as Darkness was craving for revenge, for violence, and Light for the destruction of someone evil.

He looked at Larxene.

He looked at Marluxia.

"Where do I sign up?"

Light had expired, Darkness had prevailed. This was the world Xehanort had dreamt of.

But all Vanitas dreamt of was revenge, and it was now his time to shine.

Revenge was such a nice word.

* * *

 _ **And there you have it. The tragic ending. I wasn't sure when the story began about how it would end, but as the story wrote itself, this was what made more sense. Vanitas regards Kairi as a friend, but he never had friends before ; you don't know what you'll miss until it's gone forever. I wanted my traitor duo to be back, and it looks like they recruited someone else besides Vanitas. Each of them has their own motives, but they will cooperate until Xehanort is no more. I really do hope that we get to see some traitors in KH3 (honestly, no matter the side, even though I'll die if Lea betrays the guardians to save Roxas/Xion/Isa), and not just good guys vs bad guys the end.**_

 _ **Lately, many things that I posted ended up being somewhat proved canon(ish) by the trailers. If this story happens to be KH3 canon, I would like to apologize and promise I will only write happy fics. But that's only if that happens to be canon, which still lives me a few months at least to keep on writng angst.**_

 _ **Thank you so much for having followed this story so far! Twelve weeks is a long time, and yet I'm always surprised when I post the last chapter of a long fic, because it feels like the first chapter was yesterday. I hope you enjoyed this story - let me know by leaving a review, if you'd like!**_

 _ **See you later :D (If you are interested, I am currently writing one(1) fic that will be a oneshot, I don't have anything in stock anymore! But this could change quite easily, I am a productive person, just look at how many KH fics I wrote in only a year ;) )**_


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